It is well known that incidents or accidents can routinely occur, producing broken bones and/or creating other forms of injuries to individuals that require a hard or soft medical cast to be worn on a limb (i.e., an arm or leg) or other extensive body area of a patient for an extended period of time. This period of time can easily extend over several months, usually depending on the extent of the injury. A typical cast can cover a substantial portion or even the entirety of a patient's limb (i.e., leg, arm). As a result, the ability of the cast wearer to maintain daily personal hygiene by means of washing, bathing, showering and the like is severely compromised in that the skin area that is covered by the worn cast is simply not accessible for routine cleaning. As a result, excess skin develops in these body areas, as well as latent accumulations of dirt, bacteria, sweat, as well as other undesirable byproducts. The passage of time simply exacerbates these conditions and increases any annoyances and discomfort that are already afforded to the cast wearer. To date, there has not been an effective means that has been provided for cleaning the skin areas, relieving the itching that develops, or otherwise tending to the latent buildup of sweat and dirt beneath the cast of the wearer.
A number of orthopedic devices, such as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,711,731, describe an instrument designed to relieve itching as encountered by a patient wearing a hard plaster medical cast. The instrument includes a long resilient member stamped from stainless steel or similar material, the instrument having at least one end formed as a pad. The pad includes a plurality of smooth outwardly extending projections.
Another itch relieving device is generally described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,667,659 and 4,892,091. According to each design, a strip-like member includes a plurality of protrusions formed along the entire length or substantial length of the device. The protrusions are rounded to enable temporary relief of itching caused by cast wear. A number of other similar devices are known, also typically for reaching typically inaccessible locations, such as beneath a cast or behind a user's back, for the relief of itching. While itch relief is provided, none of the above-noted devices provide any option as to cleaning or otherwise sanitizing the skin surface beneath the worn medical cast.
As a result, there is a general need in the field of orthopedic devices and apparatus to provide a sanitizing apparatus for cast wearers.